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    Alex Summers felt free for the first time in a long time. He was quitting the X-life for a while. Well, maybe not quiting as in for good, but putting it on hold for a while. He had decided to go back to school for his second masters. Earn his degree and maybe get a real job. One that didn't require spandex and superpowers.

    The hard part was telling everyone of his decision. X-factor hadn't been so bad. His team-mates. . . wait. . . former team-mates, had wished him luck and offered whatever help they could give. He had expected no less. But now it was Scotts turn.

    The free feeling became lead in his stomach at the thought of confronting his sibling. Scott was the perfect X-man. He basically breathed righteous indignation and power. What would he say to his little brother leaving? 'Superhero'ing was like the family buisness, leaving it was almost tandamount to leaving the family. And almost as deep as the fear that Scott would rant and rave at him, was the fear that he wouldn't.

    The sight of the mansion made him swallow hard, //Come on Alex, you can DO this!//

    He stepped from his truck and was about to ring the bell to Scott and Jean's home when Jean opened the door, "uh. . . hi Jean." He smiled only half convincingly, "Scott home?"

    Jean offered him a motherly smile that told him she knew everything he was planning on saying. Hazards of living with a telepath. "Yeas, he's just finishing up a phonecall, come in."

    "I'd rather not." He admitted. "I just wanted to tell him that I'm leaving the team." He looked up and froze when he saw his elder brother standing solid and unmoving in the doorway of his study. "I. . . . uh. . ."

    "Why?"

    "I want to go back to school."

    "So you're leaving."

    "Only for a little while." He promised, "I just. . . need some time."

    "Time."

    "To figure out who 'I' am. Me, not Havok. With all of the stuff that's happened lately with Maddie and Lorna and . . . Scott, I'm just tired of fighting."

    "You thought about this."

    "Yes."

    "I am angry with you." Scott glarred, "You're running away."

    "No I. . ."

    "But I won't stop you."

    He looked up hopefully, "What?"

    "You're a grown man Alex, and I can't tell you how to live."

    A true smile covered his face, "Thanks a lot Scott. I needed that."

    His brother wore an answering smile, "Now shoo, before a change my mind."

    Alex didn't have to be told twice. He hurried back to his truck, the smile still firmly in place, and begain his drive home, deciding to stop on the ground first and visit his thinking place one last time, as a reward for standing up to Scott and telling him in person. God he felt GOOD!

    It was the familiar flash of blue and gold an hour later that told him an X-man was near. He waited to be approached but obviously the other mutant hadn't seen him. Curiousity peeked, he moved toward where he had seen the colors and slowed as he heard a quiet humming.

    He parted the plants to see a head of wheat gold hair the could only belong to one person. "Bobby, shut up before you crack the trees." He smirked, stepping into view.

    Startled, corn flower blue eyes turned to meet his and Havok's eyes  widened, "You aren't Bobby."

    "N. . . no sir. Ahm not." Sam Guthrie confirmed, "Ah din' mean ta bother ya, Ah didn' know anyone came out he'e."

    "It's ok, I was just teasing, I thought you were Ice Man."

    "Me?!"

    "It's the hair."

    "Oh."

    "What are you doing out here alone?"

    "Thinking."

    "Its a good place for it."

    "You too?"

    "Aa." Havok nodded, "What're you thinking about?"

    He shook his head, "Nothin'." Then he turned his eyes to the huge tree in front of them, "You evah climb a tree?" He asked suddenly, "No reason, no powers, jus' climbed one, normal?"

    "Long time ago."

    "I nevah climbed a tree."

    "Why not?"

    "To much work ta do. Mah needed my help and ah couldn' afford ta fall an' get hurt."

    "You sound like Scott."

    Sam looked insulted for a second then laughed, "Ah guess ah do, sometimes." He turned to the other man with a smile, "What brings you he'e?"

    "I can to tell Scott that I'm leaving X-factor."

    Sam's whole face seemed to darken but quickly formed a smile again, "Why?"

    "I'm going back to school."

    "Yur leaving."

    "For now." Alex studied the young X-man before him, "You're upset."

    "Well ah thought ah was makin' progress an' you're jus' sayin' goodbye."

    Alex smiled and somehow missed the slight offer in that sentance. "I'll still be around, besides you have lots of friends."

    "Name one."

    "Tabitha, your girlfriend."

    Sam flopped down on the glass, "Bad choice, she dumped me."

    "Roberto."

    "He's the one she dumped me for."

    Alex flinched, "Ouch."

    "At least."

    "If I say 'at least things can't get any worst', they will, so I won't." Alex grinned, "What are you doing angsting anyway, I'm the summers here, angst is our thing."

    "Guess we all need to angst sometime."

    "Well feel free to unload on me, I'm an old pro when it comes to self pity."

    "Thanks. . . I think."

    "So, change of subject, did you hear about Bobby and Remy?"

    "It's hard to miss when you live with them."

    "Lovebirds huh?"

    "Act more like a couple 'a barn cats in heat but yeah. They love eachother."

    "You're doing that misty *sigh* kind of look." Alex sat down beside the country boy and smiled, "You aren't a romantic are you?"

    "To the marrow of my hayseed bones." He laughed, "Wouldn't it be wonderfull? You know, to find someone like that. To love someone with all your heart and at the same time be best friends."

    "I've tried it twice."

    "Ouch."

    "At least." He rolled his eyes, "I thought Lorna would be the one but. . ."

    Sam nodded and lay a hand on his companion's shoulder, "Same with me an 'berto, 'cept he din' know it."

    "Roberto?!"

    The blond turned bright red, "Ah jus' said that out loud, didn' I."

    "Yeah."

    "'Fraid a' that."

    "So You're. . ."

    "Ah likes girls an' boys," He blushed, "but boys fell more right to me."

    //I can't believe I'm having this conversation!// "I've never tried. I always had girls I guess, so it never came up."

    Sam nodded, "I had Tabby, an' Chaney, but they were more me tryin' ta prove I was as manly as the others."

    "You did a good job, I'd have never guessed."

    He closed his eyes, "Get's lonely though." He smiled and changed the focus of the descusion, "Life outside the mansion can be lonely, if you evah need a friend, ah'll be there."

    Alex smiled and put a hand on the other's shoulder, "I keep forgeting how nice you are."

    "Me? Nah."

    "You, yeah. Why didn't you go meet someone?"

    "'cause the minuet they saw my housmates I'd be dumped like a new born calf."

    "Oh really?"

    "Look at 'em!" Gambit and Iceman are off limits but Angel is a total fox not to mention rich and well mannered, and Beast is smart and funny and flexable, Colossus is kind and and huge! Kurt is genteal and dashing, I won't even start on Logan. Next to them I'm nothing."

    "You underestimate your charms."

    "Oh yeah."

    Havok grinned, "Yeah. You're innocent, sweet, kind, handsome as sin, and have eyes like. . ." He was so close that they bumped noses. //How did I . . . Mmm, he smells like. . .// "Sunshine and wheat."

    "Huh?"

    "You smell like sunshine and wheat."

    "Oh."

    Their lips met and all thoughts fled them both. They existed for sensation, touch, taste, tongues played against eachother until they parted for air. "Wow." Alex touched his lips in awed reverence and stared at Sam.

    Sam starred right back, dazed, "Ooooh tha' was nice!"

    Alex nodded.

    The other boy frowned, "An' you're goin' away."

    The youngest Summers brother tried to still his racing heart, "My new school is in New York, so is my apartment. I'll be close by."

    "Do you want. . .?"

    "I want." He caught the other's lips again and both smiled. This was completely unexpected, but Alex wasn't about to let that stop him. //I'm kissing a boy.// He thought, //Kissing Sam Guthrie! And it feels good. This could get interesting.//

    He had no idea.
 
 
 

~End (for now)~